Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Today on Speedy Tuesday, we'll return to a watch we've reviewed before, the Omega?Speedmaster Apollo XI 35th Anniversary limited edition. Why is that? First off, selfishly, I get to spend time with one whenever I visit my parents because my father owns the watch you see here. But more importantly, and more germane to events over the last month, this model strikes me as a really great companion piece to the recently released SpeedyTuesday edition. I say this simply because today's subject is, to date, Omega's only Speedmaster Professional done in panda guise that's been offered globally. Introductions aside, let's enroll in a refresher course on a beloved limited edition.The Speedmaster Apol [...]

Happy Holidays from the good folks at Wrist Game or Crying Shame Well, thats just me, but no matter. Weve made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, St. Nicholas Day, and the UK not letting anyone in without quarantine. Oh, strike that, Im particularly salty about the latter, and it looks like Christmastime in London will have to wait yet another year. Alas Returning to our subject, this week I offer you the perfect holiday gift in the form of one Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Ultra Thin. But firstThe last time we came together, I showed you a Bell Ross BR-03 92, and despite all the whining and crabbing (hi, RJ!), a full 58% of you decided that an equilateral polygon is wor [...]

Hublot did what Hublot does and made a splash with its colorway swathe of new releases this week. Asa devoted follower of the brand, it is my pleasure to present the Hublot Big Bang Integral Ceramic novelties, the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire, and the Classic Fusion Orlinski Blue Ceramic.Lets start with what is fast becoming a bread and butter range for Hublot. What would be an absolute showstopping proposition for most brands now feels so organic coming out of Hublots stable that it would be easy to miss the update altogether. The Big Bang Integral Ceramic line is not new. Weve seen the black version before. However, this week, that stealthy model was joining by three new opti [...]

In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don't forget to let us know which watches you'd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We'll try and feature as many of our readers' choices as we can. Today's match-up is all about smart/casual steel watches from the Crown. Ben and Jorg select an entry level Rolex each between the recently introduced Oyster Perpetual ref. 124300 and the Datejust ref. 126300.In previous editions of our Sunday Morning Showdown series, both the Rolex Datejust and the R [...]

The moment everyone has been waiting for has come. Today we announce the winner of the competition. Firstly, we'd like to thank all of you that entered our March Mania giveaway and helped to make it such a huge success. Your engagement, votes, and, of course, comments are everything to us.The person who saw this comingCzapeks Ad lie is the most beautiful creature ever made by the Watch Gods, it is as simple as that, I want her, need her, and someday she will be by my sideDoes that look familiar, watch fans? Thats right, it is one of 60+ comments left by Ron_W throughout the March Mania tournament. In a legend-making move, Ron_W predicted the victor long before anyone else thought it had a re [...]

When it comes to creating mesmerizing and original dials, Grand Seiko is an industry benchmark. Snowflakes, white and green birches, the brilliant blue sky over Mt. Iwate at dawn it's the beauty surrounding the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi translated into dial art. But GS is not the only brand with an obsession for dials. That's why it's time to present you with five dialed-in alternatives to Grand Seiko watches. Well start in Japan with Minase, fly to Malaysia to visit MING, then head over to Glasgow in Scotland to check out AnOrdain. Then well travel to a small German town to take a look at Glash��1tte Original, and end up back in Japan because Seiko's Presage collection could offer a fe [...]

Buying your grail watch. Something that some would say can only happen once. But others, myself included, would say can happen as many times as you want it to. As we progress into the world of watch ownership we are constantly redefining terms. Most of us will be able to look back to a fairly humble first most expensive watch we ever bought. A term that is typically redefined by your latest purchase. At some point, those lucky enough to take the leap will find themselves owning a true luxury watch. Would I have ever thought, way back when I bought my first mechanical watch, that just three years down the line I'd have a Speedmaster to call my own? Probably not. I didn't even think it three d [...]

The first step is standing up and saying it out loud: My name is Thor and I am a watchaholic. Some of us reached this stage in our watch collecting years ago but failed to realize it. You might have one display cabinet with ten watches; that's all good. But if you have another 40 at your office with weekly DHL deliveries there instead of your house, you're in trouble. If you have the walk-in closet full of dusty watch boxes like me, then maybe it's time to trim the fat.The definition of a collector from The Free Dictionary says that it is a person who collects books, paintings, stamps, etc., as a hobby or investment. So while it may be tempting, I'm not getting myself into the hot topic of b [...]

Welcome back to A Brief History Of Time. Today, we present the second installment in our multi-part series on the history of Rolex. If you missed Part One, you can check it out here.When we left off in 1945, Rolex had just celebrated its 40th anniversary. It had marked the occasion with the introduction of the Datejust, the first automatic watch with a date window. The now-famous Jubilee bracelet had also made its debut on that very model, and Rolexs post-war recovery was off to a great start. Whether founder Hans Wilsdorf had any idea just how important the next 15 years would be for the company is up to speculation. Nevertheless, these years would mark not only a series of impressive techn [...]

Its Speedy Tuesday, the moment you have all been waiting for This week, we have a numbered edition in store for you. It means it is not limited or a special edition, but a regular collection model with an individual number. Yong Wee from Singapore, one of our readers and fans of Speedy Tuesday, sent us photos of his much beloved Omega Speedmaster Professional ref. 3577.50 From The Moon To Mars watch.As you can see, this Omega Speedmaster Pro From Moon To Mars has three different sub dials. The Earth is shown on the sub dial at 9 oclock, the Moon at 6 oclock and Mars at 3 oclock. It also contains the wording From The Moon to Mars on the dial starting at 5:30 to 3:30 in modest writing. The fac [...]

Single subject watch auctions have clearly graduated from the absolute exception to somewhat of a normal occurrence. We've seen remarkable results from the Christie's Speedmaster auction of almost 2 years ago and the trailblazing Bacs Russo team has done the same with auctions focused on the Daytona and the Datejust. For fans of a given type of watch, watching and/or participating in these auctions must seem a lot like the scene when the lucky children are first turned loose in Willy Wonka the Chocolate Factory. For those who like variety or who don't favor the featured watch, it probably feels like a serious case of overhype. Well, whatever your interest level, today, I'll discuss the upc [...]

Now that the James Bond No Time To Die has been postponed, Id like to cheer you up with a selection of used Omega Seamaster James Bond watches.Since 1995, Omegas have adorned the wrist of secret agent James Bond. In Goldeneye, he could be seen wearing the quartz version of the Seamaster Diver 300M, reference 2541.80. When No Time to Die?eventually hits theaters, he will be wearing a titanium Seamaster 300M with an in-house-developed self-winding movement. Besides the watches he wears in the movies, there are also some limited editions dedicated to 007.In this article, I will show you 5 Omega Seamaster James Bond watches. These are all used Seamaster limited editions that commemorate one of t [...]

In a year where prices finally seem to be stabilizing, I think there will be a ton of attention on the May auctions in Geneva and those that will take place in April in Monaco and Hong Kong as well (after this article is being written). The pandemic resulted in a massive price hike among newer watches, but specifically with some of the smaller independent brands and then the bigger icons like Rolex sports models, Patek Philippe Nautilus, and AP Royal Oak. We've also seen Cartier make a big leap in the past years. Meanwhile, in the vintage watch market prices have remained somewhat the same and now appear to again offer better value than their modern counterparts.For example, when a recently [...]

Although the Bvlgari Octo receives a lot of attention these days, theres another icon in the brands collection that shouldnt be overlooked. The Bvlgari Bvlgari Today, we introduce to you the Bvlgari Cities Special Edition 2020.Originally introduced back in 1975, the Bvlgari Roma was given to 100 of the brands best clients. Even in those days, without e-influencers, it mattered. As a result of Bvlgari gifting these watches to certain clients, the brand received tons of requests to extend the production of the Bvlgari Roma. There was an analog and a digital version (I tried to find a pre-owned digital version but without much luck) that had BVLGARI and ROMA engraved in its gold bezel. Then, in [...]

Longines Heritage 1945I can comfortably say that this year is about time-only watches. Not that we did not see any three-handed watches the previous years but the amount of coolness the brands present this year in this segment is remarkable. Omega (Railmaster), Montra (Triumph), Tissot (Ballade) or Nomos (basically any 2017 novelty) are just a few brands to mention with such watches. There was however one other brand that stood out; Longines. For many years now we got used to the fact that when it comes to BaselWorld we would see something great from them. We did not disappoint in them this year either. Their Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary is spot on when it comes to being as close to th [...]

Unfortunately, there was no Grand Seiko event this year. Normally, these annual get-togethers provide the perfect backdrop for new releases to first see the light of day. Instead, the Grand Seiko watches came to us. There is plenty to come over the course of the year (some of the novelties are still embargoed, of course). What I can say, however, having had the benefit of seeing what remains behind the curtain, is that the Grand Seiko SBGJ239 watch is absolutely one of my personal favorite 2020 releases.A green dialed GMT on a leather strap? Color me interested. It sounds amazing on paper, but it sounds even more unusual when we consider this watchs context. This watch sits within the Grand [...]

Omega Speedmaster Pro DD145.0022It is Speedy Tuesday on this first Christmas day This week, we have something rare. A gold / steel combination Speedmaster Professional that dates back to 1981. A gold colored dial with gray sub dials and black hands. This Speedmaster Professional goes by the reference of DD145.0022.The bezel of the Speedmaster DD145.0022 is also made out of gold and the black aluminum inlay features gold printing. The bracelet is more familiar, it is a ref.1171 bracelet with 633 end-links. This surprised me as well, as I only knew this combination in stainless steel. Apparently, Omega just used the same machinery to assemble this gold / steel bracelet as they used for their 1 [...]

Last week, I got in touch with Johann who posted a story on his Instagram account about a TAG Heuer he received from his dad. This TAG Heuer once belonged to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. So time for us to ask a few questions to the current owner of the watch.Johann runs the Instagram account @watchyouwearin. He posts incredibly crisp wrist shots of his watches. Definitely, a? feed to add. Recently, he posted the picture of his TAG Heuer 2000 model. And, along with the pics, the amazing story of how this watch ended up on his wrist. Interested? You should beRobert-Jan: Johann, before telling us a bit about that TAG Heuer 2000 on your IG feed, where does your love for watches come from?Johann [...]

Ah summertime, it's finally officially here despite the fact that it's been seriously hot throughout most of northern Europe for the last couple of months. With Summer comes vacations and that means that most of us will make our way towards the beach or at least a refreshing pool. And what watch to wear? The natural response is a dive watch, that casual genre of timepiece that can handle the water just as easily as the condensation dripping from the glass of a poolside cocktail. But let's say you're a real vintage nut and the thought of wearing the same newer (read: watertight) diver for 1,2 or 3 weeks in a row sounds mundane, then we have some suggestions. In today's article, we'll head bac [...]

Have you noticed these four lines of text above the 6 o'clock on the Breitling ref. 3865? This Rolex-like fairytale read amuses me each time I see it. And trust me, I can't help but notice it each time I look at the dial. It is truly awesome and something Im very happy to share with you today.When one says Breitling, most see pilot chronographs. Divers watches come to mind only later. I bet any diver that does jump to mind is somehow unusual. Let me guess, you see the spectacular slow-motion SuperOcean ref. 2005 or the true collectors grail Breitling ref. 1004. I doubt you, the Fratell, thought about the modest but equally interesting skin diver Breitling ref. 3865.Meeting Breitling ref. 386 [...]